Hitching-weight.



UNITED STATES Patented June 14, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HlTOHlNG-WEIGHT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,439, dated June 14, 1904.

I Application filed February 26, 1904. Serial No. 195,374. (No model.) i

To all whom; it may concern;

Be it known that I, GUS REDDISH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Hitchingeights, ofw'hich the following is a specification.

My invention'relates to 'the class of devices employed for tethering horses during the temporary absence of the driver and which are commonly known as hitching-weights. The form of weight most generally used is a flat heavy cylindrical piece of iron provided with a staple or ring to which is attached a strap, the other end of which is fastened to.

the bit of the horse. The method of tethering horses by means of hitching-weights is principally employed in cities, and especially: by drivers of delivery-Wagons, wlnch usually have to cover a long route in the minimum of:

time. W hen not in use, the weight usually rests on the footboard in front of the driver or is suspended from a hook underneath the wagon. The moment he has reached a stopping-point the driver, instead of having to spend time and labor in hitching the horse to a conveniently-located post or ring, merely drops the weight on the ground, which, if during the absence of the driver the horse attempts to start'forward, will drag on the bit, thereby compelling the horse to stop. As the weights, for the sake of ease in handling, cannot be too heavy and seldom exceed fifty to sixty pounds, it will be seen that although they may restrain the forward move ment of the horse they are by no. means an absolute safeguard against its running away, and it is a common occurrence that a horse,

especially if frightened, dashes forward andruns for miles, dragging the hitching-weight along. V s

The object of my invention is to produce a hitching-weight soeonstructed that by taking a firm holdof the ground when dragged along its surface it will not only retard the movement of the horse, but will eventually stop it. I attain this object by the mechanism illustratec'l in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a plan view of my device; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a vertical section taken along line 3 3, Fig. 1 Fig. 4,. a sectional view of a portion of the device, showinga-modified manner of manufacture;. Fig. 5, a sectional view of the upper. portion of the weight, showing a modified appliance for fastening the strap; and Fig. 6 an elevation, drawn to a reduced scale, showing my device in the operative position.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the various views.

My device is composed of a pear-shaped body 5, the lower portion 5 ofwhich has been provided with a number of radially and upwardly extending prongs 6, the extreme points of which are provided with upwardlyextending knobs forming hooks 6. The lower upwardlyextending surfaces 6 of prongs 6 lie in the circumferential surface of an inverted truncated cone the cut face 6 of which forms the base on which the weight rests when in an upright position. Prongs 6 taper from base 6" toward their hook-shaped extremities 6*, as ,wellas toward their upper edges 6 both of which are sharp, the latter being slightly rounded and merging into the surface of the upper cone-shapcd portion of the weight. The upper surface 5 of the weight is provided with a staple 7, which for the sake of strength, as well as case in manufacture, is made separate from the weight and inserted therein while the latter is being cast, the two members forming one integral whole when finished. Prongs 6, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, are integral with the main body of the weight, the whole being preferably made of cast-iron. It may be desirable, however, in order to increase the strength and durability of the prongs to make them of steel, in which case, for the sake of economy, it will be preferable to make them separate from the main body 5 of the weight, which may be made of iron. The steel prongs aresecured to the main body of theweight by being inserted in the mold before the weight is cast, the result being that when the iron is poured into the form it will weld together with the inwardly-projecting parts 8 of the prongs. (See Fig. 4.)

Instead of staple 7 a swivcled ring 10 may be employed, which turns around a shank 10, secured in the weight in a manner similar to the one described for securing staple '7. This form, although a trifle more costly, is in many cases preferable, as it prevents twisting of the strap by which the weight is attached to the bit. A second staple 11 (shown in broken lines in Fig. may be placed in the bottom surface of the weight in case it is desired to suspend it from a hook on the vehicle when not in use or when it is desired to connect the weight with the rear axle by means of a second strap, which is sometimes done for the purpose of pulling the hitching-weight back in case the horse backs up.

The portion 5 of the weight 5 extending above the prongs 6 is made sufiiciently long to bring the center of gravity of the weight above the plane in which the points 6 of the prongs are located. Thus when the weight is being dragged along the surface of the ground the points 6 will at all times be in I contact with the soil, as the above-stated location of the center of gravity will cause the upper portion 5 of the weight to tilt downward, thus assuming the position shown in Fig. 6.

The operation and utility of my device will be readily understood. hen the weight, which, as hereabove explained, is attached to the horses bit by means of a strap fastened to staple 7 or ring 10, is dropped on the ground, it may fall either on its side, in which case it will rest on the points 6, (see Fig. 6,) or on its base, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In either case the moment the horse starts forward the weight will be dragged along the ground, supported on the hook-shaped points 6 on prongs 6, which, if theground is unpaved, will penetrate its surface, thereby retarding the forward movement of the horse. Further movement will cause the sharp edges 6 of the prongs to cut through the ground, which will lead to them being embedded deeper in the soil and taking a firmer hold, which eventually will cause the horse to stop. In case of paved streets the hooks 6 on prongs 6 will have a tendency to take hold of or catch behind any uneven place in the pavement, be it a depression, car-track, curbstone, or a sewer-hole, any one of which is sufficient to afford a firm anchoring-place for the weight.

To insure constant contact of the hookshaped extremities 6 with the ground, the strap leading from the weight to the horses bit may be made to pass underneath the front axle of the vehicle.

I wish it understood that although the form of weight as shown in the drawings and described in this specification is preferable, I may change the shape or the arrangement of the different parts Without departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a hitching-weight, a body provided with a fastening device in its uppermost side and a plurality of wedge-shaped prongs, radially arranged along its circumferential surface, substantially as described.

2. In a hitching-weight, a body provided with a fastening device in its uppermost side and a plurality of upwardly-pointing wedgeshaped prongs radially arranged along its circumferential surface substantially as described.

3. In a hitching-weight, a body having a fastening device in its topmost side and a plurality of wedge-shaped prongs radially disposed along its circumferential surface and provided with hook-shaped outer extremities substantially as described.

4. A hitching-weight comprising a pearshaped body provided with a plurality of radial, outwardly-extending prongs, the lower surfaces of which extend along the circumferential surface of an inverted truncated cone, said prongs tapering outwardly and having sharp upper edges, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUS REDDISI-I.

\Vitnesses:

G. J. RoLLANDm'r K. M. STUMP. 

